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Serenity REVIEW – finally!
[UPDATE: This was the review I wrote about Serenity after being invited by the studio to preview the movie. I've since become a huge fan of it, as well as the short-lived Firefly series upon which it was based.]
After having last night to ruminate on it, I think I’m better prepared to get into reviewing this movie without revealing too much. But forgive me if I ramble a bit.
Although I’ve never seen the show Firefly, the short-lived science fiction series this movie is based on, I still had high expectations. The reviews whetted my appetite for a scifi flick that wasn’t Star Wars, wasn’t Star Trek, and had enough action, character development, and really cool gadgets.
All I knew of Serenity’s creator, Joss Whedon, is that he created the hit series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. That was enough for me to doubt this fim from the getgo. I had never watched Buffy, never was interested in it. And had no knowledge of Firefly.
Serenity showed me what I’d been missing.
What Whedon created here is a universe with cool spaceships, realistic – if slightly futuristic – guns which fire bullets rather than lasers, and a crew of characters who speak and behave much like sailors from the 1800s.
That brings me to one of the things that I particularly enjoyed in this movie – the dialogue. There’s just something about it that’s unique and just different enough to help complete the suspense of disbelief for me. Captain Malcom Reynolds’ (Nathan Fillion) lines were perhaps the best example of that. And within the first 10 minutes of the film, I liked the character. A selfish rogue, former soldier, now a bit of a pirate and brigand…and gunslinger when he has to be. His loyalty is to his ship and crew, everything else is secondary. This sounds standard, but Captain Mal is far more protective than I’ve seen before. He can definitely be a hardass when it comes to the safety of his crew.
The settlements and spaceships have a heavy Japanese influence, with manga and kanji scattered about here and there. One of the spaceports has a very Blade Runner-esque feel, which I happen to love. Things look used. Dirty. Gritty. Real. Everything from the ships to the costumes to the props, everything feels real. Just a few centuries beyond what we have now.
There are also little touches that add humanity: the bridge of the Serenity is littered with plastic dinosaurs and small houseplants. The safety equipment of the ship is well past its “sell by” date and desperately needs repair.
The premise is set several hundred years in the future (I’m sure fans know, but I have no idea). Good thing is, it doesn’t matter. There is a federation of sorts called the Alliance which now rules the universe, after having won a brutal war. We’re quickly shown that they are well-meaning but heavy handed. A sort of ultra-fascist state bent on a peaceful utopia. Indoctrination starts early, and that’s where we start the show: a classroom where a child named River Tam demonstrates the sin of thinking for herself. She’s taken by the Alliance and experimented upon, making her not only psychic, but an unstoppable killing machine as well. Her combat prowess isn’t what dooms her. It’s that psychic ability. She’s been in close proximity to some high level Alliance officials, and therefore she probably now knows some secrets she shouldn’t know.
So, of course, they want her killed.
The movie takes some typical turns, such as River Tam winding up aboard the Serenity and the entire crew is now endangered because the Alliance is after her. But that’s where the typical ends. The characters are fresh and engaging. Their motivations are decidedly human and down-to-earth. And the action is damn good, with some of the best multiple-opponent melee choreography I’ve ever seen this side of a Yuen Wo-ping flick. There’s some romance, as to be expected in any scifi movie, but there’s also some amusing references to the importance of sex when stuck on long hauls in outer space. All of it is a welcome addition to the genre, and helps make this movie stand out.
Our heroes, termed Independents by their government oppressors, are hounded not only by “The Operative” of the Alliance (a cold-blooded, scary assassin played by Chiwetel Ejiofor), but a scary race of subhumans called Reavers. As monstrous and violent as the Reavers are, The Operative is far more dangerous. Not because he’s so fiendish, but because he appears so normal and well-intentioned. He truly believes he’s serving the greater good. And that motivation pushes him to some frightening extremes.
It’s characters like that, and the history-revising tactics of the Alliance, which draw some sobering parallels with current and historical governments. Readers of this blog know I both love and hate politics, and viewers of this film will be able to place their own personal spin on the political nuances of a government who wants to create a Shangri-La at any cost.
Go see it. It’s well worth the price of admission, if only because it’s such a fresh spin on space adventures. But the unique dialogue and the political overtones give it a depth I’ve not seen in a long time. Joss Whedon has created a new mythology which I hope will grow into a successful film franchise. I met 11 new characters last night, and I actually cared about them during the movie. For me, that’s what makes it a good movie or not.
Theme be damned, did you care about the characters? And was there a dramatic change in the protagonist throughout the story?
Yes. And yes. And when you kick in the thrilling, chaotic action and the sheer coolness factor, you’ve got a great movie in my book. Not great in the iconic sense like Forrest Gump or The Godfather or Star Wars, but great in the sense that it’s worth the ticket price and is a lot of fun.
And now I wanna buy the Firefly DVDs.
Joss, you’ve got a new fan.
—
UPDATE: Captain’s Quarters has a good review of the film, too.
UPDATE: Here are several other blogger’s reviews of the movie.
Ga Mongrel
Misplaced Keys
G. Bob’s House ‘o Blog
Vodkapundit
Wunder Blog
Combs
Resurrection Song
Booklore
Joannouu deLuxe
Posted by FullMetalPatriot
12th gen. American, Constitutionalist, Harley-riding Texan, gun owner & NRA member, blogger, illustrator, Florida Gator alumnus. #TCOT
12th gen. American, Constitutionalist, Harley-riding Texan, gun owner & NRA member, blogger, illustrator, Florida Gator alumnus. #TCOT
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